Lil' Dragons Karate - Ages 4 years to 6 years old

This program is specifically designed for this age group! The curriculum is tailored to keep children at these ages interested and focused while building better behavior teaching new mental and physical abilities. Classical Martial Art's Lil' Dragons Karate program is similar to other nationally recognized programs, having influence and advice from child phycologists and successful dojo operators. Simply put, its a proven program for teaching 4-6 year olds to respect themselves and others. Children learn how to live healthy lives, combat childhood obesity, resist bullying and build coordination and focus that will benefit them for their entire lives!

Classes are typically 40-45 minutes in length and take place 2-3 times per week. At Classical Martial Arts, even our 4-6 year olds learn the lessons of respect and courtesy, so every class begins and ends with an organized line up and bowing procedure. Exercises designed to build hand eye and full body coordination follow for approximately 5-10 minutes. The aim of these exercises are to make the act of exercising 'fun' so that your child grows up with a positive impression of physical activity. After warm ups are completed, the instructors spend a few moments going of a word of the week or daily topic. Examples could be a single word like 'self control' or a topic like 'good manners'. Instructors will use about 5 minutes of the class to explain, question and relate these topics to the students. The rest of the class is spent on learning the physical martial arts and skills needed to develop into a strong karate student!

Youth Karate - Ages 7 years to 12 years old

Click the link above to see videos of from our youth karate program!

Classical Martial Art's Youth Karate program is perfect for reinforcing the good moral lessons already being taught at home and school. Youth Karate is a perfect compliment that not only teaches the importance of life long physical fitness and self defense, but constantly reinforces the need to be just, peaceful and morally strong in daily life. 

Karate has been taught for centuries and continues to be very popular with youths even in today's technology focused world. It is our belief at Classical Martial Arts that youths need a physical outlet and that Karate provides the ideal positive activity for that outlet.

The benefits of Karate include increased focus and self discipline. Greater respect, compassion and gratitude and possibly the most significant, an increased sense of motivation and perseverance.

Classes are 45-50 minutes in length and take place 2-4 times weekly. As students progress the option to attend additional classes become available. Beginners usually attend twice per week.The traditional class begins with meditation and bowing and a student creed that reinforces positive character traits. Classes devote 10-15 minutes for warm up exercises including calisthenic type movements, cardio and endurance building and strengthening exercises. Proper stretching and loosening exercises are also taught. Five minutes of the class is devoted to martial arts philosophy, which could also be described as successful living philosophy. Topics covered include "having an attitude of gratitude", "good enough is the enemy of excellence", "courtesy is the oil that makes society run" etc. 

Around 30-40 minutes of the class is spent learning tradition Japanese Shorinji-Ryu Karate-Do. Classical Martial Arts is part of the Zen Bei Butoku Kai International and teaches the Shorinji-Ryu style to its Karate program members. The physical movements of Karate stress the importance of proper body dynamics and mechanics, good form and posture and maximum body efficiency for maximum strength and speed. Students learn traditional forms and partner training exercises.

Youth Students learn from an organized curriculum and advance in rank up to junior black belt levels. Classical Martial Arts has a specially designed youth self defense curriculum that empowers our youth students to learn self defense responsibly and use their martial arts knowledge constructively.

Teen/Adult Karate - Ages 13 and up

Classical Martial Arts teaches its teenage and adult Karate students the most traditional and authentic Japanese Karate program offered in Pittsburgh's North Hills region. 

Students learn martial arts history, philosophy and physical technique. Classical Martial Art's robust curriculum covers basic movements, organized forms, partner training, self defense and sparring for technical skill building.

Classes are 45 minutes to 1-hour in length and take place 2-4 times per week. Classes begin with formal meditation and bowing, and the student creed. Warm up exercises follow for about 15 minutes and can vary from mild to intense, working out the whole body but with a focus on teaching proper routines to our students so that they can take the knowledge with themselves and work out on their own. Fifteen minutes simply isn't enough time for a real work out, so we warm up to avoid injury and hope our students will continue to exercise on their own either at home or a gym.

After warm ups, 30-45 minutes of the class is spent on the day's subjects. Classes focus on four categories: basics, kata (forms), sparring, self defense. 

Teen and Adult students learn Shorinji-Ryu Karate-Do as taught by the Zen Bei Butoku Kai International through Classical Martial Arts. Students may progress up through the various rank levels to adult black belt status and from there through the levels of black belt.

Aside from the classical form and techniques of traditional Karate, students learn Classical Martial Arts teen/adult self defense curriculum. This curriculum is reality based, and does not embrace flashy, complicated self defense techniques. Defense against grabs, hold, chokes, headlocks and punches, kicks are taught. At the intermediate and advance level defense against stick and knives are taught. Students learn to strike vital and soft targets with open hands, fists, elbows, knees and kicks, the importance of how they make a stance and posture and how to keep their balance in a self defense situation. 

Classes are taught and conducted with a focus on personal improvement through positive reinforcement. Classical Martial Arts enjoys a successful teen/adult program because of the positive community which it's members create!